by Jen Talty
“Yes. I noticed.”
“Good. Now, keep me informed. I’m concerned about Gretchen.”
Shannon knew she’d done everything she possibly could for Gretchen. Yet her patient had still landed herself in the psych ward.
On suicide watch.
That had to reflect poorly on her ability as a therapist.
Maybe she should cancel on Jackson tonight. Because the way she felt, she just might be willing to use him purely for what he offered as a man.
And that would be a trigger to a beast she wasn’t sure she could tame.
Chapter Five
If one thing had served Jackson well over the years, it was listening to his gut. Currently, his gut told him that things with the Montgomery case were not adding up to a girl on a vacation. He was glad that Janice, the roommate, had finally filed a missing person’s report, and that the family had been notified—though they didn’t seem to care all that much. They believed Belinda had fallen off the wagon and would show up the second she needed money.
According to Belinda’s mother, Belinda had never been able to stay off drugs for more than a couple of months…except for this last year. She’d actually told Jackson that it was about time Belinda started using again. The hard part was that Jackson understood why Mrs. Montgomery would say such a horrible thing.
He sat in the parking lot of the Sagamore Hotel. The white building overlooked the lake, much like the cover of the book, The Shining. The massive hotel filled the small island, giving the occupants a panoramic view of the lake set in the mountains’ valley. During the day, the piece of property gleamed and ushered in relaxation. But he’d seen the hotel from a boat at night, and it screamed a tale of horror, imagined by little boys who’d seen Halloween one too many times.
The crew at the reception desk had been more forthcoming than Jackson had expected. That might have been because the police had already been by to ask questions, but according to the hotel records, Belinda hadn’t been there at all.
Just as Jackson threw his truck into gear, his cell vibrated. “What’s up, Katie?”
“Two things. First, I got a name on the new boyfriend for Belinda. Clayton Moosehead.”
“Moosehead?” Odd name.
“Yeah, but when I searched, I got about thirty names locally. Most are either eighty-year-old men, dead, or don’t live in the area anymore. Those who do, don’t fit the description.”
“Need to widen the search to the entire state.” Jackson put the truck into park. “Who gave you the tip on the name?”
“One of the bank tellers. Ms. Timms was none too happy I was there, and I suspect she gave the teller a hard time. But, basically, the employee remembered the guy because he came in to cash a check and was all flirty. She said that Belinda walked him outside and gave him a wet one in the parking lot.”
“A wet one? Is that new talk for blow—”
“Jesus, get your mind out of the gutter. A kiss. You know? Sucking face. Making out.”
Jackson laughed. “Anything else?” He hit the speaker button, placed the cell in the hands-free cradle, and pulled out onto Route 9, heading south. It wouldn’t take more than ten minutes to get home. He was tired and hungry and had a sudden need to throw a couple of hamburgers on the grill.
That was if Shannon hadn’t eaten already.
“No,” Katie said flatly. “But I also talked with Ben again and asked him if he knew this guy, Clayton. He told me that Clayton was a freelance photographer or something, and that Belinda had some nudes taken. She told him it was a gift for him, but not until after he’d gotten jealous and freaked out on her.”
“Nice,” Jackson said.
“Pig.”
“I act like a guy; you call me a pig. I put flowers on your desk; you call me a girl. I can’t win with you.”
“Well, maybe you can win with the shrink.”
“She’s not a shrink,” he said under his breath.
“Aren’t you touchy?” Katie said. “I’m going to do some more digging when I get home and see what I can find. Before I forget, the package you requested about Shannon’s daughter arrived. I haven’t opened it.”
“Feel like swinging it by my place?” He knew the information in the packet wouldn’t tell him where Shannon’s daughter had ended up or her name, but it would match non-identifying information and give him a start. He figured he’d be able to give Shannon some peace of mind in a week or so.
At least, he hoped the news would be good, and that Shannon would let her daughter go through life with the loving parents she’d been placed with and not insert herself into their lives, disrupting their family dynamic.
A surge of hot pain rushed through his body. Shannon was nothing like his birth mother. He shouldn’t compare the two.
But, still, certain skeletons were sometimes best left locked in the closet.
“I’m in your driveway,” Katie said.
“Thanks. I’ll be there shortly if you want to hang out for a bit.” Well, his sisters certainly would be pleased by his hospitality, but he wished he hadn’t uttered the words. He wanted some alone time with Shannon. One of these days, he hoped they would move past neighborly conversation and into something different. Something more.
Something that might make his mother and his sisters happy.
But he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t have reservations, regardless of his attraction. It had nothing to do with Shannon giving up a child and everything to do with her wanting to find that child.
“Wish I could. I’m going to meet with Jacob’s dad about my uncle’s case. No way do I want that man out of jail, but something tells me he might actually make parole this time,” Katie said, the words tumbling out of her mouth like a volcano. “I used my key and left it on your desk.”
“Perfect. Thanks. I’ll see you in the morning.” Jackson ended the call. He navigated his way down the long, dark road, his mind heavy with thoughts he’d long forgotten.
His parents and sisters had always told him that blood didn’t make a family.
And they were right. People even thought that he and his sisters looked alike, but none of them had the same DNA.
Jackson slowed at the top of his driveway. The light blue sedan was long gone, but as he rolled slowly down toward his cottage on the lake, he noticed a pricy BMW in Shannon’s space.
But Shannon’s car was nowhere to be found.
He pulled in and made his way toward the side of his cabin. He always thought it strange that these particular properties only had one entrance, located on the side of the house. They were small domiciles, Cape Cod-style, but not so small they couldn’t support a front and back door. However, for security reasons, he liked having only one way in and out.
He hadn’t taken ten steps when two women came barreling around the corner.
“Oh,” the older woman said. “You’re not Shannon.”
“Nope,” Jackson said, seeing the resemblance immediately between the older woman and Shannon. They both had striking blue eyes and sandy brown hair. The older woman wore way too much makeup and dressed as if she were the first lady, but otherwise, she looked very much like Shannon. “Name’s Jackson.”
“Yes,” the woman said. “I’m Shannon’s mother, Melinda. And this is my daughter, Tara. I was hoping Shannon might be home by now.” Melinda checked her watch. “I need to head back to Saratoga, but Tara here,” she paused, glancing at the young girl, “she was planning a girls’ night with her sister, and her car is in the shop so I agreed to drive her.” Melinda tapped her watch. “Wonder what could be keeping Shannon.”
“I wasn’t planning anything,” Tara said. “I thought this was—”
“She’s always late,” Melinda said. “Maybe Jackson here can keep you company until Shannon gets home?”
Before Jackson could say anything, Melinda nearly sprinted toward her car.
“See you tomorrow.” She glanced over her shoulder and blew a kiss. “You two have a pleasant evening. You know
, it’s such a beautiful night. You should walk down to the waterfront and watch the moon and stars come out while you wait for Shannon. Yes. Go now.” She waved to them as she slipped into her car.
Cue music for The Twilight Zone, Jackson thought. He turned and glanced at Tara, who appeared just as shocked as he felt. Tara had Shannon’s eyes, but otherwise, they didn’t look that much alike. Tara was tiny compared to Shannon’s lush curves. Tara had to be at least four inches shorter than her sister. Even though her jet-black hair didn’t show roots of another color, having five sisters, he could tell a dye job a mile away.
He tried to picture the girl with light brown hair, and as he did, he knew he’d seen her somewhere before. “You look familiar.”
“You’re the PI guy that works with Katie, right?”
He nodded.
“Yeah. You might have seen me in your building. My boyfriend is Kevin Bengal.”
“Oh, yeah. I do work for him and his father’s law firm. Nice guy.”
“Too bad our parents can’t stay the fuck out of our lives. Unbelievable. I hope Shannon gets home soon,” Tara said. She tapped her phone then put it next to her ear. “Oh, come on, Mom. I know you have your phone turned on. Pick it up.”
Jackson stood there, hands on his hips, trying to figure out what to say. But his mind was devoid of words.
Tara groaned and banged on her cell with her index finger. Damn thing might break if she kept that up.
“It’s cool. You don’t have to babysit me. I’ll just hang out on the patio until Shannon gets back or until I get my mother to turn around.”
Well, that didn’t explain much. “I’m a little confused. Your sister didn’t tell me you were coming, and she and I were supposed to have drinks.” He cringed. If his mother were here, she’d slap the back of his head for being so rude.
Tara glanced in his direction and smirked. “Seriously? My sister finally said yes to a date with you?”
He cleared his throat.
“Sorry. It’s just that Cameron talks about you all the time.”
“Who’s that?”
“Shannon’s best friend from college. Anyway, I’ll be out of your hair shortly,” Tara said. “My mother kind of lives in her own world and, unfortunately, you just entered her orbit unwillingly. Worst case, I call an Uber.”
“Is her world a really bad place to be?” Jackson asked, his inquisitive side taking over. He’d get over the tiny ounce of guilt he felt scratching his mind over pumping Tara for information.
But first, he’d have to get her to stick with one subject at a time.
Tara laughed. “Not usually for me. My sister is a different story. And today, you are her pawn.”
“Do I want to know why?”
Tara took in a deep breath. “Long story short, I made the mistake of not being aware that my mother was lurking in the shadows when I got into a tiff with my boyfriend. We both said some things we shouldn’t have, but his father and my mother are making us both nuts. I told him I needed to cool off, and he said he needed a break. I think my mom took that as us breaking up—which we didn’t. Then she told me that Shannon was having a hard time because yesterday was the anniversary of her father’s death. Which I should have known was total bullshit, but I fell for it because I love my sister and would do anything for her.”
“Is there a conclusion to this story?” Jackson was concerned the girl would pass out if she didn’t take a breath.
“Oh. Yeah. I think my mother plans to inform Kevin that I’m spending the evening with you to try and make him jealous.”
Jackson squeezed his hand into a tight fist before shaking it out. “I hope your boyfriend is smarter than that.”
“He is. But that doesn’t change the rumors my mother could spread in her dainty little group of gossiping control freaks who have way too much time on their hands.”
“Want a soda? Or maybe a beer or something?” Jackson asked. His sisters would be disappointed if he didn’t show the young lady some hospitality. And, since Tara was so willing to rattle things off, he figured she might give him some insight into Shannon. “You are old enough to drink, aren’t you?”
“I’m twenty-two, thank you very much. And I’d love a drink. If you have wine, I’d prefer that. But no biggie if you don’t. Just anything with alcohol in it. I’m going to need it to calm myself down so I don’t strangle my mother, the meddling pain in the ass.”
“Why don’t you sit here?” He pointed to the chairs around the fire pit. “Mine are better than your sister’s. She really needs to get wooden ones.”
“No, shit.”
Jackson enjoyed Tara’s sassy personality. It reminded him of his sister, Sarah. “I’ve got a phone call to make. But when I’m done, I’ll bring out a bottle of wine.”
“Perfect,” she said, her focus back on her cell.
He unlocked his front door and then flew up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. As soon as he was at the top, he pulled out his phone and dialed Shannon’s number. He wanted to make sure Tara didn’t hear a word of the conversation.
She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”
“It’s Jackson. Just thought you might like to know your mother stopped by.”
“To see you?”
“Not sure, she left in a hurry. But she also left your sister, Tara, behind for me to entertain.”
“Well, shit. I’m so sorry,” Shannon said. “What did my mother say?”
“Not much, but your sister’s rambling on and on, and I’m confused about a few things.”
“I’m not surprised. She’s a talker, like my mother. Thankfully, she doesn’t meddle in everyone else’s business, even though she has an opinion about everything. I’ll be home in ten minutes or so, depending on traffic.”
“I’ll keep your sister amused. Or maybe it will be the other way around.” Jackson put his phone into his pocket.
He snagged a nice bottle of red and three glasses.
Tara had made herself comfortable in one of the chairs and kicked her feet up onto one of the end tables. “Thank you.” She grabbed the glass he offered and took a generous sip. “I’m going to wait for my sister. I’d like to talk to her for a couple of minutes, but then I’ll leave so you can have your date.”
“It wasn’t a date, really. We sometimes share an evening drink or have a morning cup of coffee.”
Tara tipped her head, raising her eyelids to give him a sideways glance. “Are you implying you roll out of bed and drink coffee with my sister? Which house do you sleep at?”
Jackson felt his cheeks flush. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
Tara laughed, waving her hand in the air. “I know. My sister doesn’t do relationships. Not even sure she’s ever had a one-night stand, much less let a man spend the night. Cameron and I have tried fixing her up a dozen times. Shannon always finds a reason to end something before it even starts. Something about her job being too time-consuming and sucking up all her emotional energy or some such bullshit.”
Jackson tossed a few pieces of wood into the pit and shoved a wad of newspaper under them before lighting a fire stick. He’d been gun-shy for the last year. Divorce tended to do that to a man. But he hadn’t given up on the idea of finding the right woman.
It sounded like Shannon didn’t even want to consider spending her life with anyone, and that had his mind turning over a million questions about why.
There was always a reason.
“She just hasn’t found the right man, that’s all,” Jackson said.
The wood crackled as the fire took hold, sending sparks and smoke into the sky. He eased into the chair with the best view of the road, something he never did. He always preferred to stare at the dark water lapping at the shore. But tonight, he only wanted to watch Shannon park her car and join him.
“The problem is, she doesn’t even look. I swear she dates a guy for a couple of weeks and only when we have family stuff going on. Then, all of a sudden, he’s gone. We’re all w
ondering who she’ll bring to Bonnie’s wedding. Did she ask you?”
“Who’s Bonnie?”
Tara laughed. “Wow. You know almost nothing about Shannon.”
“Sadly, that’s true,” he admitted, tipping his glass. “I wouldn’t mind changing that.”
“Good luck. And to answer your question, Bonnie is my other sister.”
“Older or younger?”
“She’s Shannon’s age. Actually, they are only a few months apart.” Tara smiled.
“How is that possible?”
“They are both my half-sisters. Bonnie and I have the same father. Shannon and I have the same mother. Bonnie is Shannon’s stepsister. None of us have a whole sister.”
Jackson burst out laughing. Tara was certainly a firecracker. “I have five whole sisters. Trust me, it’s overrated.”
“Wow. You poor man, surrounded by all that estrogen. My father always says it’s going to put him six feet under long before he’s ready. When we were younger, we all loved sending him to the store for tampons, and we all wanted different brands and styles.”
“I never needed to know that.” Jackson pointed to the car making its way down the long, windy driveway. “Here comes your sister.” Thank God. As much as Jackson enjoyed Tara, he was ready for conversations with a different flavor.
“Hey,” Shannon said, dropping her purse onto the chair next to Jackson. “Sorry our mother dragged you into her games.”
“No worries.” Jackson stood, handing her a glass. “Why don’t I leave you two alone for a bit? But I do need to talk to you about a couple of things before the night ends.”
“I’ll knock on the door when we’re done.”
Jackson slipped into his kitchen, glancing over his shoulder. He’d gotten nothing specific out of Tara about Shannon, but what he had learned made him pause. Every family had its fair share of dysfunction—including his. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to get involved with a woman whose mother would go to such lengths to interfere with her adult children’s lives.